[The] CBS [Evening] News [and other CBS news
shows]
(prime-time network news and public affairs)
(CBS Evenings, 1948 - Present)
[aka: "Douglas Edwards With The News" (1948 - 1962);
aka: "CBS News with Walter Cronkite" (1962 - March 9, 1981);
aka: "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" (March 9, 1981 - March 9, 2005);
Although Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly were
responsible for creating the well-deserved CBS reputation for
excellence in radio broadcast journalism, the Murrow years
were in decline during the ascent of television -- which
was not a particularly welcome development; Murrow did have
his "high Murrow" series -- documentaries and "See It Now",
and "low Murrow" series like the magazine "Person To Person",
but did not embrace the daily reporting of news on the new
medium; perhaps it was because TV news began more in the style
of a motion picture newsreel with narration; Murrow was not
a narrator; but due to his untimely death from lung cancer,
we will never know how he might have felt about TV news as
it matured;
Nightly news broadcasts on CBS-TV began with Douglas Edwards who
actually did two live broadcasts -- one for the East Coast and
then repeated it three hours later for the West Coast (this was
in the pre-videotape years when everything was live, and CBS News
producer Don Hewitt revealed in his memoir that he and Edwards
often went to bars and even strip clubs between shows); In April
of 1962 Edwards retired and Walter Cronkite began his legendary
run which led to him being called "avuncular" (like an uncle),
and "Uncle Walter" and "the most trusted man in America";
On March 9, 1981 Walter Cronkite was retired by corporate policy
when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65; a few weeks
later, when he paid an unannounced visit to the network studio
he said he detected an attitude that he was no longer welcome;
By then, the anchor desk had been handed over to Dan Rather a
long-time CBS correspondent originally from Texas who put in
many years as a White-house correspondent and 60 Minutes
magazine reporter; Rather has a liberal reputation because
he publically challenged Republican presidents Nixon and
George Bush, Sr.; Although Rather also was not too easy on
Democratic President Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War
era, reporting the battleground casualties and the toll it
took in young American lives night after night.
Then there was the odd episode when Rather was apparently
mugged in New York City by a pair of thugs who asked him
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" leading to rumours that he
was mentally unbalanced; in his defense, he has said "Well,
those were the words they used, and I was merely reporting
them to the police; I don't know who the muggers were..."
Rather's tenure ended following a controversy over a CBS report
unflattering to President Bush during the 2004 presidential
campaign -- a report later shown to be unsubstantiated. It
was said the timing of Rather's retirement announcement was
not related. But on March 9, 2005, Rather anchored his final
Evening News broadcast -- 24 years to the day when he began
sitting in the anchor chair; Bob Schiefer began a temporary
period as anchor until a final replacement is announced.
For "CBS Reports", (a news documentary series, circa 1959),
see the individual page for that series... ]
Theme 1 (1949 - 1952, for "CBS Television News, with Douglas Edwards"): "In My Merry Oldsmobile"
[professional name of Vincent Patrick Bryan]
Composers: music by Gus Edwards (ASCAP), and
lyric by Vincent P. Bryan (ASCAP) [professional name of Vincent Patrick Bryan]
1978 Publisher: [in the Public Domain]
2000 Publisher: [currently in the Public Domain]
Composition Date: 1905
Copyright Date: 1905, by M. Witmark and Sons.
Renewal Date: 1933
Theme 2 (1953 - 1962, for "Douglas Edwards with the News"): "[under investigation]"
Composer: under investigation
1978 Publisher:
2000 Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Sounder 3 (for "CBS News with Walter Cronkite", 1962 - 1981): "[Teletype sound effect]"
[a teletype sound effect was used behind the opening
announcement -- there was no music theme]
Composer: No composer--sound fx only
1978 Publisher:
2000 Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 4 (for "CBS News with Dan Rather", 1981 - 1986): "CBS Evening News Theme"
Composers: Walter ("Walt") Levinsky (ASCAP), and
Elliot J. Schrager (BMI)
1978 Publishers: April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), and
Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc./Special Account (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o EMI Music Publishing
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 5 (for "CBS News Special Report", circa 1981): "CBS News Special Report (Theme) (Op/Cl)"
[this is probably derived from the "CBS Evening News Theme"
above, by Levinsky and Schrager]
Composers: Walter ("Walt") Levinsky (ASCAP), and
Elliot J. Schrager (BMI)
1978 Publishers: April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), and
Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc./Special Account (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o EMI Music Publishing
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 6 (for "CBS News Nightwatch", 1982 - 1991): "CBS News Nightwatch (Opening/Closing Theme)"
[this is probably derived from the "CBS Evening News Theme"
above, by Levinsky and Schrager]
Composers: Walter ("Walt") Levinsky (ASCAP),
Elliot J. Schrager (BMI), and
Dorothy D. Krantz (BMI)
1978 Publishers: April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), and
Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc./Special Account (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o EMI Music Publishing
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 7 (for "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather"): "C B S Evening News Logo"
Composer: Robert ("Bob") Sakayama (ASCAP)
2001 Publisher: TNG/Earthling, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Earthling Music Division
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 8 (for "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather", 1987): "C B S News Theme"
[above was title as filed for copyright; the ASCAP database
title was: "CBS News Theme"; alternate ASCAP title: "CBS
Evening News Theme"; primary BMI database title: "CBS
Evening News Theme"; and an alternate BMI title: "Theme
for CBS Evening News"]
Composers: John P. Trivers (ASCAP/BMI), and
Elizabeth T. Myers (ASCAP/BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: Beverlyfax Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
Copyright Date: Dec. 16, 1987; PAu-1-040-253.
[composers last names only were on the copyright filing]
Renewal Date:
Theme 9 (for "CBS This Morning", 1979 - 1982): "This Morning (Theme)"
[aka: "This Morning (CBS) Theme"]
[above is the title as listed in the ASCAP 2001 database;
ASCAP title variations: aka: "This Morning (CBS) Theme";
This morning show was hosted by Bob Schieffer the first
season and Charles Kurault after that; it was a temporary
excursion in the time slot for the CBS Morning News, into
more feature-oriented format which Kurault would perfect
on his CBS "Sunday Morning" show]
Composer: Carly Simon (ASCAP)
2001 Publisher: Aspenfair Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o CBS, Inc.
of New York, NY
2001 Publisher: C'Est Music (ASCAP)
c/o Universal-Polygram International
a div. of Universal Music Publishing Group at Universal Studios,
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 10 (for "CBS Morning News", circa 1987): "CBS Morning News Theme"
[above was title in the BMI database; not in the ASCAP
database; It is likely that this is adapted from the
previous "C B S News Theme" by the same composers.]
Composers: John P. Trivers (ASCAP/BMI), and
Elizabeth T. Myers (ASCAP/BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: Beverlyfax Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Theme 11 (for "CBS Evening News", circa 1991 - 2018): "CBS Evening News Theme 1991"
[aka: "Evening News Theme (CBS)"]
[above was title in the BMI database; ASCAP alternate title
was: "CBS Evening News Theme"; alternate ASCAP Titles:
"CBS News Theme"; aka: "Evening News Theme (CBS)"; It is
probable that this is an expanded version of the "C B S
News Theme" above adapted by a company which works mostly
in the Jingle business, formerly called "AdMusic", now
known as "Patterson, Walz & Fox Music" of Los Angeles]
Composers: John P. Trivers (ASCAP/BMI),
Alan James Pasqua (BMI),
Elizabeth T. Myers (ASCAP/BMI),
Richard Edward ("Rick") Patterson (BMI), and
Neal Fox (BMI)
2001 Publishers: Aspenfair Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
2001 Publishers: Beverlyfax Music, Inc. (BMI)
c/o CBS Music Operations
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date: